Whop vs Skool: which should I use?

Updated

The basic difference

Skool is one fixed product: a community feed, a classroom and a calendar, the same layout for everybody. Whop is a platform you assemble from apps, so you can sell several different things under one roof. Skool charges the owner a monthly fee and takes a cut of each payment on top; Whop charges no monthly fee and takes a share of sales.

That difference in shape decides most of the choice. Simplicity against range, and a fixed bill against a variable one.

How they charge

Skool charges the community owner a monthly fee and also takes a cut of each payment that runs through it. Whop has no monthly fee and takes a share of sales, so a month with no sales costs nothing.

That makes Skool cheaper at high volume and Whop cheaper while you are starting. Work out where the lines cross for your own numbers.

What each is better at

Skool is better if you want one tidy community and nothing else to think about. The constraint is the feature.

Whop is better if you want to sell more than one thing — a membership plus files plus a course — or if you want a shop attached. That is where store apps like MKKT come in.

Switching later

Both let you export your member list, but you cannot move subscriptions across. Members have to re-subscribe on the new platform, and some will not.

Choose with that in mind. The cost of switching is the churn, not the export.

FAQ

Questions, answered straight.

What is better than Skool?
Nothing is better for everyone. Skool wins on simplicity. Whop wins when you want to sell several things at once. Circle and Discord plus a paywall are the other common answers.
Does Skool have a course area?
Yes. Skool calls it a classroom and it comes with the plan. On Whop the courses app is something you add. Both work, so this is rarely the deciding factor.
Can I run a free community on either?
Yes on both. Skool still bills you monthly for it, while on Whop you can set a community up before paying anything.
Does Skool charge a transaction fee as well?
Yes. Skool bills the owner monthly and takes a cut of each payment that runs through it. Whop has no monthly bill and takes a share of sales. Read both on the day you decide.
Which is cheaper?
Whop while your sales are small, because there is no flat fee. Skool once your monthly revenue is large enough that a percentage costs more than the subscription.
Which one has more discovery?
Whop has a public marketplace people browse. It is a real trickle of traffic, but do not plan your business around it.

Sell it inside your Whop.

MKKT adds a store to your community. Upload the file, set a price, share one link.